I’m tired of looking tired. What can I do about my dark, crepey under-eye area?

Dear Face Time, My under-eyes are getting crepe-y (I don’t know if that is a word?), and my products are settling into these new lines that seemingly came in overnight. I also have dark under-eyes, because, well, I have kids! How do I treat this??? — Tired (Looking) in L.A.

Dear Tired Looking, Oof. What you’ve identified here is one of the top aging concerns I’m asked about as a beauty editor. It’s a topic I write about frequently and, of course, deal with myself (I actually started wearing glasses over contacts in my late 40s because I didn’t want to think about it anymore).

Like our necks, the under-eye area ages faster than other parts of our faces. This is largely because the skin there is delicate, contains zero oil glands and is frequently in motion (due to squinting and smiling). In your letter, you mention a few of the top aging issues here — crepey texture and dark circles — but there’s also puffiness, sagging skin, fine lines and deeper wrinkles to contend with.

While no topical treatment will address all of these quite like blepharoplasty (a popular eye surgery), there’s reliable research confirming that the skin around our eyes responds to a few key ingredients like retinol, vitamin C, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid.

In fact, when I asked cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Ava Shamban if eye creams work and if women over 40 should use them, she responded with a resounding “YES, YES AND YES!”

“It obviously depends on your individual signs of aging,” she says, “but generally, look for products that contain antioxidants [like vitamin C] to protect and actives [like retinol] to correct. You also want to improve circulation and oxygenation in this area, so look for tightening ingredients like caffeine and/or calming ingredients like green tea, calendula and chamomile. Any combination of these can be great for an eye cream.”

While most any eye cream you pick up will hydrate skin and make it appear more plumped and bouncy, the consistent application of skin care containing a stable form of vitamin C is among your best bets for dark circles. In clinical trials, when used daily, high-quality vitamin C products have been shown to reduce pigmentation and brighten the area overall. Whichever cream you choose, make sure the consistency is thick and/or dense so it doesn’t run into the eyes.

And in terms of concealers that won’t settle in fine under-eye lines, I recommend makeup-serum hybrids (I like this one from Trinny London and this less-expensive option from NYX), which solve the problem by moisturizing skin and simultaneously covering any perceived imperfections.

What’s the best makeup for wrinkles? Does retinol work? Ask Jennifer Romolini anything, as the kids say, and she’ll answer with straightforward, expert-backed advice. Submit questions in the comments below, on social @yahoolife or email askfacetime@yahoo.com.